Reflections on the limited adoption of global product sustainability certification among the smallholder tea farmers in the selected sub-regions of Western Uganda

Turyatemba, C.; Turyasingura, B.; Akatwijuka, R.; Kayusi, F.

doi:10.21608/svuijas.2025.374643.1460

Reflections on the limited adoption of global product sustainability certification among the smallholder tea farmers in the selected sub-regions of Western Uganda

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Faculty of Social Sciences, Kabale University, Uganda

² Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Kabale University, Uganda

³ School of Environmental and Earth Sciences, Pwani University, Kenya

10.21608/svuijas.2025.374643.1460

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the reflections on limited adoption of global product sustainability certification among smallholder tea farmers in selected sub-regions of Western Uganda, focusing on identifying barriers and opportunities for enhanced participation. The study aimed to: (1) examine intricacies limiting massive uptake of global product sustainability certification practices among smallholder tea farmers; (2) establish relationships between sustainability certification enrollment fees, costs, and potential benefits; and (3) ascertain the relationship between Rainforest Alliance participation and access to high-end European value chain markets. A mixed-methods convergent parallel design was employed, integrating quantitative surveys from 384 smallholder farmers with qualitative interviews from key informants. Data collection utilized structured questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides, complemented by desk studies reviewing peer-reviewed literature and policy documents. It was found that there was a strong positive correlation between certification enrollment fees and farmer benefits (R=0.843, R²=0.710), indicating that 71% of benefit variation is explained by enrollment fees. Rainforest alliance participation demonstrated a strong relationship with European market access (R=0.890, R²=0.791), with 79.1% of market access variability explained by certification participation. Global certification levels strongly correlated with massive smallholder uptake (r=0.769), confirming the critical role of scale in driving adoption. There is need to promote group certification models, enhance capacity-building initiatives, strengthen value chain partnerships, and develop supportive policy frameworks to facilitate widespread adoption.

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